‘Strategic Partnership’ between India & United States of America

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‘Strategic Partnership’ between India & United States of America!

The rise of China, resurgence of Russia and increasing alliance between the two, instability in South-West Asia and its security implications in the post cold war period guided India and United States to engage into strategic partnership.

Within the realm of the strategic partnership both aim to strengthen strategic ties, address regional challenge, recognize economic potential, pursue and expanded nuclear agenda and support India’s UN-bid.

The India-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement of 2008 develops the strategic partnership. The shared value of democracy is a binding factor in furthering the strategic partnership. The 2005 ‘Defence Framework Agreement’ have enhanced defence ties between two.

The End Use Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) is expected to boost US defence technology transfer to India. India has conducted more joint military exercise with the United States than with any other country. The Malabar series of joint naval exercises have now become an annual feature. Institutional mechanism for counter terrorism cooperation is in place. Economic cooperation is also growing steadily.

However, a scrutiny of the partnership would reveal a wide gap between the declaration and their implementation. As many declared areas of cooperation have not been given shape to, e.g., the Indo-US Global Democracy Initiative, announced in July 2005, remains a dead letter. Similarly, the US Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) which see to monitor and interdict movement of Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) material has not received any response from India.

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The legacy of suspicion, divergent views of both countries and not so firm US support to India’s bid for permanent membership of the Security Council are the prime hindrances to the strengthening of the partnership. However, issues of Pakistan terrorism and India’s bid for permanent seat of the UNSC may offer opportunity for expanding strategic partnership.